This invention relates to packaging elements, and in particular, to a structure for supporting and spacing rolls of web material during shipment and storage.
Web materials are commonly stored and transported in rolls because the rolls are compact and facilitate the mounting of the material to automatic web handling equipment. While possessing numerous advantages, the rolls of web material exhibit certain disadvantages, particularly in the storage and transport of the material. For example, rolls have a propensity for movement if laid on their side, and tend to tip if stood on their ends. As a result, it is difficult to package the rolls for bulk shipment on a pallet or other shipping equipment.
The problem of shipping rolls of web material is particularly acute with relatively brittle materials such as cellophane, which require a high degree of protection during shipment. The failure to properly protect these materials may result in the web becoming torn on the edge of the roll or becoming nicked during transport and handling. Should this occur, the web will tear when tension is applied during subsequent processing and use of the material. End nicks are particularly acute since they tend to be radial in occurrence, causing repeated tearing along the length of the web and often rendering the whole roll unusable. Further, if the rolls become crushed during shipment, the resulting out of round condition may create difficulty in mating the core of the roll with the automatic web unwinding machine.
In order to alleviate the foregoing problems, various types of supporting and spacing members have been developed with varying degree of success. A highly successful supporting and spacing member is disclosed in Bell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,732, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, Great Northern Corporation, and incorporated herein by reference. The Bell '732 patent discloses a member for protectively supporting and spacing a plurality of rolls of web material such as cellophane, in a multi-layered stack. The members are comprised of an elongated bar having a plurality of spaced indentations along at least one surface of the bar for receiving the rolls of the stack therein. The bar is formed with sufficient flexibility to permit limited, relative movement among the rolls of the stack. This provides a high degree of protection to the rolls. At the same time, the bar has sufficient strength to prevent crushing of the stack. The bar may be formed of expanded polystyrene foam and may be formed with edging at the sides of the indentations in order to protect the ends of the rolls.
While supporting and spacing members constructed from expanded polystyrene have been highly successful, these types of supporting and spacing members have been perceived by some to be environmentally unfriendly. As is known, expanded polystyrene is not as readily recyclable as some packaging products like corrugated containers and inner packing, or aluminum cans, and therefore has sometimes been view unfavorably. Further, some insurance companies require special storage requirements for the warehousing of expanded polystyrene foam due to fire related concerns. While such concerns may not be justified, users of expanded polystyrene supporting and spacing members have sought alternative products.
To address the environmental concerns, supporting and spacing members formed from molded pulp have been developed. However, these molded pulp supporting and spacing members are often times inferior due to insufficient strength to adequately support the rolls of web material. Further, due to the substantial flexibility of products formed from molded pulp, molded pulp supporting and spacing members tend to be too flexible, thereby compromising the amount of protection for the web material.
In order to optimize the strength and flexibility of molded pulp supporting and spacing members, recesses are often times placed in the side portions of the semi-cylindrical indentations which receive the rolls of web material.
These recesses or depressions in the semi-cylindrical indentations provide greater flexural cushioning by the members when clamped to the rolls of web material, just as in the supporting and spacing members constructed from expanded polystyrene. However, due to the flexibility of products formed from molded pulp, often times molded pulp supporting and spacing members are still too flexible for use in connection with rolls of web material.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a molded pulp supporting and spacing member which optimizes the strength and flexibility characteristics of the member in order to protect rolls of web material during shipment.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a supporting and spacing member which is simple to mold, and is inexpensive to manufacture.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a supporting and spacing member which is readily recyclable and hence, environmentally friendly.
In accordance with the present invention, a structure is provided for supporting and spacing of rolls of web material. The structure comprises an elongated member with first and second opposed surfaces. The first surface has a plurality of spaced, semi-cylindrical indentations therein for receiving rolls of web material. The second surface includes a generally planar outer edge. A recess is located on the side portion of each semi-cylindrical indentation and bridging is positioned along the second surface between the recess in a first semi-cylindrical indentation and the recess in a second, adjacent semi-cylindrical indentation in order to optimize the strength and flexibility of the structure. In the preferred embodiment, the elongated member is generally rectangular and is defined by first and second sides, and first and second ends.
The structure may also include a second, generally rectangular elongated member defined by first and second sides, and first and second ends, wherein the first side of the first elongated member is interconnected to the first side of the second elongated member. The second elongated member includes first and second opposed surfaces. The first surface has a plurality of spaced, semi-cylindrical indentations therein for receiving rolls of web material. The second surface of the elongated member includes a generally planar outer edge. The second elongated member further includes a recess located in the side portion of each semi-cylindrical indentation and bridging along the second surface of the second elongated member between the recess in a first semi-cylindrical indentation and the recess in a second adjacent semi-cylindrical indentation.
The first and second elongated members may be interconnected by a hinge. The hinge allows the first and second elongated members to pivot with respect to each other between a first position wherein a portion of each second surface lies in a common plane, and a second position wherein the outer edge of the second surface of the first elongated member engages the outer edge of the second surface of the second elongated member. The first and second elongated members and the hinge are integrally molded from a molded pulp material.